25 year-old Javid Rezai is a British-Iranian director and
screenwriter. His first narrative short, Another Life, premiered at the Festival
Internacional de Cine de Madrid in 2016. The film went on to be nominated for
15 awards globally.

What were the origins of the project?

I wanted to make an honest film that captured that
vulnerable age when you're too young to be an adult, and too old to be a kid.
Pegah encapsulates that moment in time. The character Pegah is an embodiment of
so many different Iranian women and girls throughout my life. I had so many
anecdotes from the my own summer before university, some really painful, and
others incredibly funny. I started writing all these little stories from Pegah's
perspective, and then connected them to create the narrative. A lot of what
Pegah goes through, I also went through. Growing pains are commonplace- the
aimlessness of that age, not knowing your place, making silly mistakes and so
on. So much of yourself seeps into the script as you write, so the story was
told with vehement honesty...

Why tell the story from an Iranian girls perspective?

I am proud to be Iranian. I have an Iranian family made
up of mostly women, all of whom have inspired me in so many different ways. I
wanted a story with a fresh perspective, one we haven't seen in a while, and why
not dig into my own roots and use the voices of these incredible Iranian women.

What were your cinematic references in making the movie?

There wasn't a particular film reference when making
Pegah, however, there were many films that have inspired me to make more
personal character stories. I've always loved coming of age films... Stand by Me
and Mustang are two of my favourites. The heart of Pegah is a teen film in a lot
of ways. I love teen films, and I think they're traditionally looked down upon
and considered unsophisticated-but they're culturally significant and act as a
snapshot of a certain period. I love The Heathers, Jawbreaker and Foxes, for
example.

What reactions are you hoping for?

I hope young people relate to it, and see something of
themselves in there somewhere. And I hope it takes older people back to that
certain age and brings a sense of nostalgia-good or bad. And finally, I hope
Iranian people connect to the story, whether they are inside or outside of Iran,
and ultimately enjoy it.